Holy Land Report #1

Today begins my recap of our 10 day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The pilgrimage began and ended with approximately twelve hours of flying time - an experience in itself. We arrived in Israel and then had a two hour drive from Tel Aviv airport to the first hotel in Tiberius. Tiberius is located on the Sea of Galilee and our starting point for three days of biblical and archaeological exploration. Upon arrival in Tiberius we had just enough time to check in to the hotel, eat dinner and celebrate Holy Mass. The next day we started early at 8am heading to our first site.

View of the Sea of Galilee From Our Hotel Room

Day one of our pilgrimage began with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee - looking at the shoreline - basically untouched by any development - just as Jesus would have seen it. The hills and valleys the same today as in the time of Christ - as the boat sat idle in the waters - we listened as Chaplin Arlene read her meditation to us - what an awesome and touching experience.

Pilgrims on Boat

Looking At The Shore From the Sea of Galilee

Sea of Galilee

Reaching the other side of the sea we left the boat to view the 2000 year old Ancient Boat discovered in the area. Did Jesus ride on this boat - no one knows - curious and interesting.

 

2000 Year Old Mystery Boat

As with the 2000 year old boat - so much is still a mystery - proving that no matter how much you know about God and Jesus - you will never know it all.  

Deacon Dale 

Pilgrimage Stories

It has been a few days since my last post - unfortunately I was not able to find the time to write while I was in Israel. Over the next week or two I will be sharing photos and thoughts about the Holy Land and our Pilgrimage of July 26, 2012 through August 4, 2012. A very quick recap would be that this turned out to be a fantastic venture for all 36 persons involved.

DeaconTravel Holy Land Pilgrimage - Bethlehem, Israel 2012

We knew the itiniery since Deacon Jerry and I had planned the places we wanted to take the group. Of course God intervened and added some special stops along the way - we could not have asked for better! Walking in the foot steps of Jesus - sailing on the Sea of Galilee - eating His foods - meeting His people - is all still soaking into our brains - and so, the adventure will be shared with you 


Deacon Dale 

Change

When we decide to make something different we change it - we switch from one identity or designation to another. It is interesting that my initial request on Google immediately brought up change of address. There were multiple hits involving changing ones address. Although useful - that was not the change I was seeking. What I wanted was what we refer to as "change" or different instruments of monetary negotiation. When we take a large bill of currency and switch it into smaller amounts - particularly coins - we refer to these smaller units of currency as "change". Actually this is a misnomer as we switch dollars for coins and each coin has its own identity - thus in the USA change would refer to pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and half-dollars. In Europe or the mid-East - we would be using Euros, Zloty, Shekels, etc - and each different monetary system would have "change" - smaller monetary units to use. I find when I travel - that I have to adjust how I buy and sell - using foreign currency. It is interesting - challenging - perhaps a little difficult - never impossible.

When Jesus comes to us - He is offering us the currency of God's Love.  God's Love - which is so much more valuable than all the monies of the World. It does not have larger or smaller denominations - His Love comes in one size for all  peoples - for all cultures - all races - all tongues. His Love is larger than the highest mountain - wider than the largest continent - deeper than the deepest ocean. Like water - His Love flows around and in us - it fills us - it consumes us - it  brings life - healing - refreshment - nourishment. Even in the deserts of the World - you are never without this ocean of Love - you are never left stranded - you are always "at sea" with God. If your life is lacking God's Love - all you need to do is make "change" - change your mind - change your heart - change your attitude - change the way you see others - change the negative thoughts - come to Jesus and ask Him to enter your life - to fill you with God's Love - ask for His Divine Mercy to flow around you - with God change is never impossible.


Deacon Dale

Dehydration

In physiology and medicine, dehydration (hypohydration) is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism. Dehydration of skin and mucous membranes can be called medical dryness. There are three types of dehydration:depending on the relationship of how much water and or electrolytes (salt) is lost. Sometimes dehydration is good - as in dried fruit - meant to preserve and prolong its usefulness. Some common liquid antibiotics such as amoxicillin are first produced as liquids and then the water is removed to prolong the life of that  product - in a dry state it has a shelf life of years - once reconstituted - when water is added back - the antibiotic is only good for two weeks at which time the potency begins to rapidly degrade and becomes useless. When humans do not drink enough liquids or have excessive diarrhea - the body may rapidly lose fluids and create a medical emergency - infants and small children may become critical in less than twenty-four hours - adults within a few days - or in certain situations - such as  the excessive heat wave that we have been experiencing - in a matter of hours. The obvious answer is to not let yourself become dehydrated in the first place by maintaining proper body fluid levels. The cure is to replace lost fluids - in extreme cases - through intravenous fluids administered by medical personnel.

When we wander from God - when we turn our back on Jesus - when we focus our attention on anything other than His divine presence - we lose an essential element of life - we can say that we are de-God -drated. Sometimes this is intentional - when a person denies the existence of God - other times is may be accidental - when life throws so many curves at a person that they become disorientated and lose focus on the essentials of life. Although we may deny God's existence - He never denies ours - although our focus may be easily taken off God and His presence in our lives - His attention is never taken off of us. If you have been wandering in the desert - if you have been experiencing extremes in life - confusing you - spiritually drying you out - you can correct all this by approaching the waters of re-generation - that is Jesus. To drink in His presence - to fill your body with His life giving love - to accept Him back into your life. Jesus is the waters that refresh - Jesus is the cure for all that ails you.

Deacon Dale

Happy Anniversary!

Don't you love it when people celebrate anniversaries - special times of the year when all sorts of things are celebrated and remembered. Your first job - the birth of a child - your birthday - wedding - buying your house. We celebrate those things that are very important to us. These are markers in our lives - they say a little about who we are - where we are going - what type of individual we are -what is important to us - they are a piece of each of us. When you have a special day to remember - I say celebrate in style! On this day - I pause and say to my best friend - my wife - Happy 43rd Wedding Anniversary! I love you more today than I ever have.

When we attend daily Holy Mass - we remember that day that Jesus gave His life for us. Each Mass we participate in is a special celebration and an anniversary of that awesome act of giving His life - for our salvation. We do not give Jesus cards or gifts - we offer to Him our love - our appreciation - our devotion. Today celebrate that gift as if it were the only anniversary you could ever celebrate!


Deacon Dale 

Fear Factor

Fear is a negative emotion induced by a perceived threat that causes animals to move quickly away from the location of the perceived threat and sometimes hide. (Wikipedia) Fear is also a defense mechanism that is utilized by humans as well as other animals. When we fear something - we tend to avoid it - we shy away - walk around it - turn our backs and go in an opposite direction. Then - of course - there are those who face their fears head on - to prove to themselves and others that the fear was not justified. That was the concept for the television show - Fear Factor - in which people attempted various stunts to prove that they did not fear whatever the task was. Some stunts had a danger factor attached to it - others were more of a repulsive factor - such as eating very strange foods and insects. In the end fear is a valuable emotion to be utilized.

In Holy Scripture we often read words similar to Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." The word fear used in this manner does not imply that anyone should be afraid of God - most often fear is used to imply respect. When you insert the word respect in place of fear the scripture makes more sense. In early times respecting and fearing were understood as being the same thing. In our days the words have evolved to mean different actions. Fire fighters have learned over the years that fire is not to be feared - but respected. In order to respect something you have to know it - you have to learn how it acts - what it wants - its characteristics. Only when you have learned that - are you able to extinguish fires that are not wanted - that are running wild. Learning about God - who He is - what He wants - brings us closer to Him - brings us away from fear - to respect. Once you respect God you begin to love - love Him - love His Son - love His Holy Spirit. To fear the Lord is to love the Lord. 


Deacon Dale 

Gusty Wind

Very early this morning I was awaken by some very serious gusts of wind and rain - it was so powerful that it sounded like somebody was outside with a fire hose spaying water directly on the side of the house. I knew that there had been predictions of rain overnight - but I had not been warned about the high winds.  Since I was awake - I decided to look out the windows to see if we had lost any trees or large branches that would require my immediate attention.  Seeing none - I managed to get back in bed and fall back to sleep. When I woke up later - I went outside to check out the rest of the property. To my surprise - and dismay - I saw my flag pole laying on its side across a bunch of bushes. As I inspected it to see what happened - it became obvious that one of those giant gusts of wind had created so much torque on the flag - that the flag had acted as a sail and the multi-part pole had been separated - thus allowing the remainder three-quarters to fall to the side. With a little bit of handiwork I was able to correct the problem and the flag once more is proudly flying.

As a mature Christian - when we come to an adult decision to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior - we experience many different things.  Some emotional - some spiritual. On the spiritual side many report that they experience a "baptism in the spirit" in which - for perhaps the first time in their life - they know that God has and is filling them with a new outpouring of His Holy Spirit - a giant gust of new Spirit - filling their soul. This is the "born again" experience that so many people speak about.  Nicodemus asked Jesus about this very concept - "was it possible to be born over again'? Jesus replied that unless that happens one cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (John 3:4-8) For those of us who have experienced that gust of God's Holy wind - we can testify to that truth - to those who have yet to share that experience - simply pray in earnest to God - come Holy Spirit come - fill my life with your heavenly gust of holy wind - that I too may enter the Kingdom of Heaven.


Deacon Dale 

Three Days

Three Days - the magic number before we leave with our group of thirty-six pilgrims to visit the Holy Land in Israel.  As we go through our final countdown and double check that we have everything ready for departure to experience the Land that Jesus walked - we pause and take time to reflect on what we are about to do. Who are we that we dare think that we are worthy to walk in the footsteps of Our Lord - and yet - that is exactly what we will be doing. Visiting His royal birthplace - the home of His mother - the Fortress where He was questioned - the hill where He was crucified. None of us is worthy - and still - we will walk in His footsteps. Through the country side.- wading in the Jordan River - in the desert where He was tempted - on Calvary where He breathed His last breath.  All this and more is what we will experience.

Walking the Via Dolorosa - Holy Mass daily in special places - time for silence - meditations on the Sea of Galilee - eating the same foods that He would have eaten.  Yes - we will dare to follow in His footsteps. We will dare to imagine what it was like - we will dare to become more like His first disciples.  We will - through the Grace of God - we will!


Deacon Dale 

Heat Wave

I enjoy hot weather - anytime it is over seventy degrees I feel very comfortable. Normally I would say the hotter the better - as long as it is not high humidity - when your skin feels sticky and tacky. Even these past few weeks with the higher temperature - there is something that I like about the sun beating down on my body. Maybe I am part plant - I feel that the bright hot sunshine is actually good for me. Mentally I come alive - I spread my arms out and soak up as much of the hot rays of the sun as I can. There have been a few occasions in the past two weeks when I was working outside that I did get slightly uncomfortable. When you begin to perspire and the water is shedding off your forehead and face like a water faucet - then maybe it is a bit too hot - even then the feeling that your pores are been washed out and your body is eliminating toxins is still a good feeling.

As the Son of God - Jesus is like the sun - constantly sending His warm rays of love upon each of us. As we rejoice in God's presence in our lives - we ask Him to send the power of His Holy Spirit down upon us - like rain from the heavens. As we sense the rays of His Son coming upon us and flooding our bodies with His warmth and presence - we know without a doubt that we have found favor with God. The next time you go outside and feel the warm rays of the sun upon your body - stop and ask yourself if it is the sun in the sky or the Son of Man who is making you feel warm and loved. 


Deacon Dale 

Buddies

Buddies - everyone has at least one good friend that they would call their buddy.  Buddies are special people - they are always there to bring a smile to your face - to help get you out of unhappy moods - to hang out with and help you relax and enjoy life.  Today many parents call their little children - both boys and girls - buddy.  Constantly you hear them telling these little people "good job buddy".  My grandson tells me all about his buddies from school - his soccer teammate buddies - neighborhood buddies.  Not everyone qualifies as a buddy - he tells me that some are only friends - at six years old it is interesting that he discerns between buddies and friends. He obviously realizes that buddies are very special friends. 

In Jesus we have a very special friend.  Although I don't think we can properly call Jesus a buddy - we should be able to call Him a friend - a very special friend - not a buddy - but so much more!  Like a buddy - He is there to get you out of unhappy moods - to put a smile on your face - to hang with you so that you can truly enjoy life and live it to the fullest. If you need a special friend - if you are looking for someone who will listen to you for hours on end - who will not judge you - but accept you for who you are - that is Jesus - better than a buddy - the best friend you could ever hope for!


Deacon Dale